


Addict

by castletongreen



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Addiction, Alternate Universe - Underfell, Depression, Determination, Underfell Flowey, Underfell Papyrus, Underfell Sans, child abuse?, determination experiments, underfell alphys
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-27
Updated: 2016-07-19
Packaged: 2018-05-29 09:34:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 10,584
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6369631
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/castletongreen/pseuds/castletongreen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In Underfell, it's kill or be killed. With only 1 HP, Sans takes special measures to ensure his survival.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Promise

He sleeps most hours of the day now. His brother forces him awake every morning and walks with him, on bad days half-dragging him, to his sentry station. When Papyrus is gone, he falls asleep. At the end of the day, he gets something to eat at Grillby’s. He’s the bartender’s favorite customer. He never causes any trouble, just orders a greasy burger slathered in mustard, gets drunk, and falls asleep at the bar. Sometimes Papyrus shows up to loudly berate him in front of the the entire establishment. Sometimes he doesn’t. Grillby wakes him up at closing time, and he takes a shortcut home (one of the few things he can still manage), where he sleeps the rest of the night.

It’s been so long.

Sometimes, the world resets. He knows this. He used to pay attention to it, in previous timelines that he can’t quite remember. He used to try to find the anomaly and destroy it, or at least study it. Time travel of this sort was almost always linked to Determination, and if he could get his hands on what was causing it, then...but he’d failed. At least, that was what the reports seemed to indicate. They had gotten less detailed, more incoherent as relative “time” went on, and he knew he wasn’t the first iteration of himself that had given up. From the reports, he knew three things:

1: The world resets without warning, and he will have no memory of it when it does, save for a nagging feeling of deja vu. He’s not the only one who gets this feeling, but no one ever thinks twice on it.

2: The anomaly is linked to a sentient being, though the reports seem torn as to whether they have any control over it or if they, too, are just another victim being dragged along in endless torment by some unseen force.

3: If he knows a reset is about to happen, he can make preparations. He’s left himself cryptic notes, mysterious photos, and crude drawings depicting the terrible things that have happened in timelines that have been destroyed. They show up in his workshop without him asking them to. He doesn’t go to his workshop anymore. He doesn’t care about what he might find.

He sits at his sentry station, drifting off, and tries to make a list of what he still cares about. My own life, he thinks, and then stops. I think I would let myself die if I could, he muses. If I knew I wouldn’t wake up yesterday morning with an eerie, dream-like memory of being dead. He doesn’t think he would stop his brother from being hurt or killed, either. That wasn’t always the case. When they were young, Sans would have thrown himself in the line of fire for his brother in a heartbeat. But it doesn’t matter now. He thinks, perhaps if he could find a way to end the anomaly for good. Perhaps if he could get his hands on some Determination, he could--but they ran out of the stuff several resets ago. Appearantly the substance doesn’t follow the same rules as everything else. It held the key to understanding, and therefore ending, the anomaly, and if he could just get his hands on it...study its effects...and maybe...use some...maybe it would help him feel a little better.

It’s been so long. He sleeps most hours of the day now.

When he can’t sleep, he watches the stars. Now that his brother is Captain of the Royal Guard, Sans can pretty much go anywhere he wants without worrying. Once in a while someone will spit in his face or tell him that he’s garbage or riding on his brother’s coattails, or, every so often, accuse him of being a traitor. But no one has tried to fight him in a long time, for fear of invoking the wrath of The Great Papyrus. So, with nothing to fear, he watches the stars, which are really only glowing crystals that adorn the ceiling of the Waterfall Caverns. They never move. They never change. It’s cold.

He perches down near and echo flower and whispers to it. “I wish a human would fall down here,” he says. Everyone has to wish for something, he guesses. It’s part of being alive. “I wish a human would fall down here,” the echo flower whispers back. It’s the last wish he has left. It’s been so long.

The days drag on.

And on.

He sits against the door, listening. He’s not listening for her, he tells himself. He’s just sitting against the door, watching for the human that will never come. He’s not straining hard to hear her footsteps on the other side. He doesn’t gasp in excitement like a fucking child when he hears them.

“Knock knock.” He rolls right in as soon as he thinks she’s in earshot.

“Who’s there?”

“You want 2 C.D.’s?” He thinks he’ll try something different this time.

“You want 2 C.D’s who?”

“You want 2 C Deez Nutz?” He cackles. From her snort, he can tell it caught her off guard.

“Knock knock,” she replies.

“Who’s there?”

“Pussy.”

“Pussy who?”

“...You don’t get it.”

This time he’s taken off guard. “But you didn’t finish?”

“Oh, I’m finished.”

It takes him a minute. Then, he howls in genuine laughter. Oh right, he thinks. This is why I keep knocking.

“Heheh, alright, I get the picture,” he says. “I got a better one, anyway. What’s the difference between an onion and a baby?”

“What?”

“I don’t cry when I’m cutting up a baby.”

She gives a quiet giggle, then lapses into silence. That’s odd, he thinks. Dead baby jokes are her favorite.

“Somethin’ wrong, sweetheart?”

She doesn’t answer.

“C’mon, toots, what’s botherin’ ya?”

“You and I are...friends, are we not?”

It isn’t a question he’s expecting. Warm magic energy rushes to his face and he’s glad she can’t see him. He’s never thought about it before. He recovers, and responds with a sharp laugh, “Ha! that’s the kind of question someone asks when they want a something from you.”

“...I would not ask if it were not important.”

Anything for you, he wants to say. Anything for the first person to make him genuinely laugh in what seems like eons. Anything for the first person to call him friend, even if she is just taking advantage of his insecurities. “...what?” he says.

“...I know it’s an...odd request, especially considering your position as a sentry, but...if a human ever comes through this door...will you...watch over them? Protect them?”

He laughs. He can’t stop laughing. Even after it’s obvious she’s not joking. “ _hahahahaha_ \--is there a human in there? An actual living human? Oh my god.”

She stays silent until his laughter dies down. When she speaks, her voice is stern. “I know full well what I am asking you to do, but I have no other choice. I know they want to leave...but I will not allow it unless I know they are protected. Please.” Her voice sounds strange. It takes him a moment to realize she’s crying. “If I knew they would be safe,” she chokes, “I would not have to...please. you must do this for me. You are the last hope I have...they are only a child.”

He grins mirthlessly at the snow clouds above him. It’s been a long time since he’s heard someone cry--at least, someone who’s not in immense physical pain. This lady is so pure, he thinks. That, or she’s gone completely insane from living alone in the ruins for god knows how long. He guesses she was probably a mother at some point, but it’s not his place to ask questions like that. “What’ll you do for me?” he asks.

“I...I suppose I will owe you.”

“Will you open this door? Will you let me see you?”

He can hear her sigh in relief. “Of course. Honestly, I was expecting something far less...simple.”

“Hey, I’m a simple guy.” He can’t stop another short burst of laughter. “Heh, yeah. I’ll keep the little fucker safe. Promise. I always keep my promises, y’know.”

“...You would not lie to me, would you? We are friends, are we not?”

“’Course, sweetheart. Best friends.”

She doesn’t respond. He hears her footsteps grow quieter. He hopes she bought it.


	2. Anomaly

**_ENTRY 01:_ **

 

_ The king was more impressed with Mettaton than I thought he would be. He’s hired me as his Royal Scientist, and asked me to find a way to break the barrier without relying on human SOULS. It’s true, the robot runs on SOUL power, but I doubt I’ll be able to use the same methods for this. I’m not even sure where to start. I’m going to need to do extensive research on monster SOULS. I may need to use live subjects. This could get messy. _

 

_ I may have already made an ally, though whether or not he’s trustworthy remains to be seen. I’d barely set things up in my new lab when I heard a horrible noise from one of the smaller workrooms. I ran in to see what it was--I never could have expected what I found. There was a machine I’d never seen before, broken and flaming, while a small skeleton tried desperately to put the fire out with his coat. Another skeleton lay unconscious on the ground. Mettaton put the fire out with his fire extinguisher feature (I almost didn’t put that feature in) and then immediately pulled a gun on the skeleton. He’s always so overdramatic, but I guess I’m grateful I had some protection. A strange, magical eye started glowing from one of the skeleton’s eye sockets, probably a defense mechanism, or perhaps a preparation for an attack. It looked artificial. I’ll need to ask him about it later.  _

 

_ I asked the skeleton where he came from. He seemed confused, maybe even delirious. He didn’t seem to know where he was at the present, much less where he came from. I decided I had to be tactful about this--violence wouldn’t get me the answers I needed. I offered to treat his wounds, before realizing that his HP was maxed out at 1/1. Some fault in his design, he told me later, whatever that means. It’s a miracle he doesn’t fall apart where he stands. He should have been dusted as soon as he was born. I’m interested to learn exactly how he’s managed to survive this long. _

 

_ I sent Mettaton away, hoping it would make him feel safer. He didn’t seem any more eager to start a fight than I did. _

 

_ The larger skeleton had much healthier stats, and was only barely injured. As I tended to him, the small skeleton told me his name was Sans. He said the other skeleton was his baby brother, Papyrus. “Fresh out of the oven,” he said. He has a strange sense of humor. Papyrus was at LV 1, and had 0 EXP, but had decent stats for a newborn, if that’s really what he was. _

 

_ Before long Sans started babbling about multiple universes and fractured timelines, and about the man who was Royal Scientist before me. I asked him why I’d never heard of this guy before, but he just shrugged. _

 

_ He was this man’s lab assistant before his, how did he put it? “Untimely Demise?” I get the eerie impression that Sans had something to do with that. He offered to share his research with me and help me out with whatever I was doing, but he seemed a bit too eager. How do I know I wouldn’t just end up like his old employer? Still, his information could be invaluable. I don’t know what to do. _

 

_ I don’t like the way he’s always smiling. _

 

* * *

Sans stays near the door, just out of sight. He stays there through the morning, and well into midday. The thought of a human so close keeps him uncomfortably awake. The moment he lets his guard down, he knows that door will open.

 

Still he’s as alert as he’s been in a long time when the huge door swings open with the nerve-wracking sound of stone grinding against stone. The human child is covered in burns and scrapes, and holds a tiny flower close to their chest. He keeps still as the child blinks at the snow, taking in their surroundings.

 

“She only let you go because you look like her child,” a scornful voice hisses. It takes him a second to realize it’s the flower talking. “You just got lucky. You can’t expect the same treatment from the other monsters. Seriously, how many times are you willing to--” it’s interrupted by a soft sob. The flower reaches out with its leaf and wipes a tear off the kid’s face. “H-hey, don’t...It’s okay. It worked out this time, that’s all that matters. Let’s keep going, okay?”

 

There’s something familiar about that flower. Sans fixes the joy buzzer to his hand, then follows them at a distance, a grin plastered onto his face. At one point, he snaps a twig just to see them jump. They halt at the barbed wire fence Papyrus installed a month ago. “This is...new,” the flower seethes. Sans chooses that moment to step out behind them. The little shit just freezes up as they hear him approach. He wonders if they might be stupid or something.

 

“Human,” he says. They don’t move.

 

“ _ Chara,”  _ the flower hisses at them, fear gleaming in its beady little eyes. The kid won’t move. They’re shaking.

 

_ This is too easy.  _ Sans pokes the kid hard in the shoulder. “Don’t you know how to greet a new pal?” he jeers, “Turn around and shake my hand.”

 

To his surprise, the kid actually does it. There’s a nervous smile on their face that stays plastered there even after they’ve seized up and fallen lifeless onto the snow. The flower is yelling something. Sans can hardly believe how simple it was. He perches next to the body and reaches out to take their SOUL. It feels warm and soft as it brushes his fingertips. Then, it shatters.

 

He reels and loses his balance, falling into the snow. Now the flower is laughing. Anger surges inside him--he channels it into magic energy and slams the flower’s face into the ground. “What the FUCK are you laughing at, weed?” he yells. He doesn’t think he’s ever been this angry. His whole body shakes worse than the kid’s had a moment ago. He can’t even think straight.

 

“Go ahead and kill me, trashbag,” The flower growls as well as a flower can growl with its face buried in snow. “In about eleven seconds it won’t matter anyway.”

 

“WHAT?!”

 

The flower strains against the magic just enough to look up at him, an intense, singular hatred gleaming in those beady little eyes. “They might not be so good at this whole ‘kill or be killed’ thing, but Chara is still determined. They’re gonna come back, and they’re gonna keep trying, no matter how many times you kill them. And you wanna know the best part? You won’t even remember.”

“No...no way.” He stares at the human in horror. _This_ is the anomaly that’s been plaguing his life? That’s been toying with the entire underground? “No.” There’s no time to prepare, no time to make sure he remembers, he’s finally found it and there’s nothing he can do. _“Fuck you._ ” He stomps on the flower, grinding it into the ground hard with his boot, and the world stops.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Man, this one was a bitch to write. Originally, I wanted a more detailed, third-person look at the events in the journal, but for some reason it felt a bit forced. So here we are. Alphys's journal will show up every now and again to give some relevant information, or sometimes just when a chapter seems short. 
> 
> Anyway, thanks for reading!


	3. Boss

The kid won’t shake his hand. He’s not sure why he expected them to. They just stare at him silently, as though trying to read his intent. Tiny strands of hair float in the air, charged with static.

 

Interesting.

 

He returns his hand to his pocket. “I’m Sans. Sans the skeleton. I’m supposed to be on the lookout for humans right now, but, uh, I don’t really care about killing anybody.” He grins at them.  The flower wrapped around their arm rolls its eyes.

 

“My brother’s the one you really need to look out for,” sans continues. “He’s obsessed with hunting humans. He usually patrols the area around this time, I’d be careful if I were you.”

 

The kid nods shakily.

 

“Heh. I know you didn’t shake my hand or anything, and I don’t blame you. But you and your, uh, friend there, are gonna need my help if you wanna survive down here.” He steps forward and the kid dances away from him, holding their stick in front of them defensively. Sans grins. “That’s the spirit.” he chuckles as he unlocks the gate and holds it open for them. The kid stares at him, unsure. He nods towards the path ahead. “It’s fine, just go right through. Don’t worry, pal, I’ll keep an eye-socket out for ya.”

 

The kid and the flower exchange a look. He keeps smiling. They pass through the gate, and he trails close behind them.

 

He didn’t want to get his brother involved, but he might not have much of a choice. If it came down to violence, Papyrus would be way better in a fight than he ever would. Even if it was only a child, Sans was way past underestimating humans. Still, it would be better if the kid didn’t make it to the King.

 

He hears his brother call his name, and he can’t stop the grin from spreading on his face. “Here he comes! Quick, kid, hide behind that pile of snow! This’ll be hilarious.” The kid dives behind the snow without a second of hesitation.

 

Adorable.

 

“Sans!” Papyrus strides into the clearing wearing one of those not-fucking-around expressions he often wears.. His armor is freshly polished.

 

“Sup, boss.” sans shoots a finger gun at him, “lookin’ sharp.”

 

“I know that, sans!” he stands uncomfortably close, forcing sans to crane his neck to look at him. “What exactly have you been doing all day? You haven’t recalibrated your traps in eight days!”

 

“I’ve been lookin’ at this pile of snow,” he nods toward where the human is hiding. “It’s pretty cool, wanna take a look?”

 

Papyrus rubs his temples painfully. “I’m not in the mood for your bizarre sense of humor, Sans. It’s come to my attention that you’ve been spending long amounts of time away from your post.”

 

“Taking breaks keeps me focused. Don’t worry, boss, I got a ton of work done today--”

 

“So, the other day, I decided to have you followed.”

 

Sans’s words catch in his throat.

 

Papyrus crosses his arms and looms. He’s always been great at looming. “Why exactly have you been wasting so much time having terrible conversations with strange women behind doors? What is it you hope to accomplish?”

 

“Uh--”

 

“Did it not cross your mind that she could be a spy? Or worse?”

 

“What could be worse than--”

 

“Did you even bother to get her name, you lazy sack of garbage?” He pokes sans in the chest, hard. “Don’t you know what sort of degenerates reside in the ruins?”

 

“Boss--”

 

“Haven’t you heard of the Banished Queen?” Papyrus spits. “You musn’t have, or you would be staying away from the ruins altogether! I must believe you are simply an idiot rather than a traitor!”

 

“...Banished Queen?” Sans had heard of her, of course. Everybody had. The too-gentle queen who went mad when her son had been murdered by humans. Who, in her madness, had continued to sympathize with the humans even after that tragedy had struck. Why hadn’t he put it together before? The promise she asked him to make should have been a dead giveaway. He supposes he’s just been too tired to care.

 

“I’m quite disappointed in you, Sans.” Papyrus growls. “I won’t report you to the King, but clearly I shall have to keep a better eye on you! I don’t ever want to find out you’ve been anywhere near that door again! I’ve already started the paperwork to transfer you to a station in Waterfall.”

 

Sans bites back the anger swelling inside him. He should never have let his baby brother join the royal guard. He never used to talk to him this way.. He takes a breath. It doesn’t really matter, he thinks. Sooner or later he would forget all about it, one way or another. He forces a smile. “heh, you’re the boss.”

 

It doesn’t really matter.

 

* * *

 

_ Entry 02 _

 

_ I decided to take his help. The grin that spread across his face almost made me change my mind immediately. They had taken up residence in a small apartment building at the edge of Hotland. He met me in the main lobby, sitting on the edge of the memorial fountain. A crowd had gathered around his brother--Papyrus, if I remember correctly--as he mercilessly beat another monster into dust. Sans seemed unimpressed. _

 

_ When I told him I’d take him up on his offer, his face literally lit up (I really need to ask him about that eye), and he grabbed my hand and pulled me into his apartment. I think I was probably stuttering like an idiot at that point, but he just pulled some blueprints out of a locked drawer and showed them to me. _

 

_ They were...phenomenal. His theories on soul power are revolutionary, to say the least, though I haven’t really had a lot of experience working with human souls. Perhaps this isn’t that impressive where he’s from. In any case, it’s the last missing piece I needed to begin my work.  _

 

_ He knows what he’s talking about, that much is clear, but he makes a terrible assistant. He has no work ethic to speak of, and he falls asleep at the most inconvenient times. I have to yell at him to keep working constantly. _

 

_ I may be beginning to understand why. A few days in, his hands began shaking. It wasn’t that noticeable at first, not until he started dropping things. He said he was just tired. _

 

_ It’s been two weeks. He gets worse every day. If he wasn’t holding valuable information, I wouldn’t bother dealing with him at all. It’s not just the blueprints. He won’t tell me anything about where he’s from. Every time I ask him about it he says he doesn’t remember. If his brother wasn’t so scary I’d have the information beat out of him--I hate that he’s keeping secrets from me. _

 

_ His brother is...something else. If he’s really brand new like Sans said, he’s a prodigy. I’ve never seen someone that young with that high a Level of Violence. He’s already a cadet in the Royal Guard. I admit, some structure in his life would do him some good, but it’s only gonna cause me trouble. I’ll need to keep an eye on that one. _

 

* * *

  
  


When Papyrus has gone, the human steps out, carefully, from behind the pile of snow. “...you’re friends with Ms. Toriel?”

 

Sans is startled by their voice. He forces a grin. “heh, so you can talk.”

 

The kid blushes and looks at their feet. “I’m...sorry you won’t be able to talk to her anymore. She was very nice to me.”

 

“She tried to kill you,” the flower interjects.

 

“Not because she wanted to.” They touch a burn on their face absently. “She really needs someone to talk to,” they say, and it’s unclear whether they’re talking to the flower, or to Sans, or to themselves. “She’s all alone in there.”

 

“Whatever,” Sans waves a hand dismissively. This kid is really starting to piss him off. “I’m gonna go take a nap, careful of the traps and stuff.” He stalks into the forest.

 

He’d wanted to follow the kid as they made their way toward Snowdin, and hopefully be the first one to find them when they inevitably fell for one of his brother’s traps, but now all he wants to do is sleep. It doesn’t make much of a difference. He still should be able to get access to the SOUL before Papyrus delivers it to the king. It won’t be too much of a problem this time. He’ll only need it for a few minutes, and then he’ll give it back.

 

He takes a shortcut back to his house, and collapses onto his mattress, and tries not to think about the woman behind the door. 


	4. Captain

“Halt, Human, you shall go no further!” Papyrus strikes a menacing pose, imagining how intimidating he must look silhouetted in the mist. “You may as well surrender now, for you’ve found yourself up against Captain Papyrus the Great, of the Royal Guard! You have no chance of survival, so I shall give you a moment to consider the coward’s option!”

 

The child shows no signs of surprise or intimidation. They just look tired. Their body is already covered in scars.

 

“No? Very well.” He attacks with everything he’s got, and they dodge with a gracefulness he’s never seen before. He pauses to catch his breath and allow his magic time to replenish, purposefully leaving himself vulnerable to attack. He wants to see how hard they can hit. They won’t be able to kill him, anyway. No matter how much stronger they say humans are than monsters, this one is still only a child.

 

The flower yells suddenly, right in the human’s ear. “Just do it, Chara! He’s not gonna just let you pass!”

 

The human shakes their head fearfully, and holds out their empty, trembling hands in a sign of peace.

 

...It’s a trap. It has to be. They want him to wear himself out. He attacks again, more reserved, more controlled this time. Even with his blue magic increasing the gravity on their body, they manage to dodge every bone. Again they offer their hands in peace.

 

“Enough! I’m not falling for your tricks, human!” Again he attacks, and again they dodge, and again they refuse to fight. “This is pitiful.”

 

They continue this infuriating pattern for several more attacks, dodging and weaving and refusing to fight. Papyrus is getting impatient. Finally, he summons his blasters, and three at once fire searing beams of magic at the human, leaving them only a small window in which to dodge. The third hits them dead-on, and they let out a stifled screech as they fall to the ground. Papyrus grins. At last.

 

The human pushes themselves up with a whimper, and stares up at Papyrus with eyes full of fear. He’s seen that look before--the look of a cornered animal. They’ll fight back, now, or flee and give him the kill.

 

Again they open their hands in a wordless plea.

 

“Stop it!!” Papyrus snarls furiously, throwing another bone attack at them. This one hits again, knocking them once more to the ground, and the child erupts in a fit of sobs.

 

“Chara, please,” the flower whispers. But the child won’t attack. Another hit will kill them. Papyrus stalks over to them and looms.

 

“You will die here, human,” he says coldly. “Your SOUL will be delivered to King Asgore, and monsterkind will be one step closer to freedom. Don’t cry--not everyone gets to die for a cause,” he sneers.

 

The child lifts their hand, carefully, watching him through tear-filled eyes, and touches his hand softly, their fingers curling around his in a gentle grasp.

 

“What are you doing?”

 

The child swallows nervously. He can feel their tiny hand trembling.

 

“What are you doing?” the flower hisses.

 

Papyrus expects some trick, some follow-up attack, but nothing comes. Their hand is warm, and for some reason it feels good just to let it rest inside his own.

 

...It’s got to be some trick.

 

But the child just stands there, whimpering. They move closer to him, lifting their other hand. Here it comes. But he’s frozen in place, and the human’s other arm wraps around him. But there’s no knife in their hand, or hidden up their sleeve. They stay still and bury their face in his chest.

 

The flower slides, panicked, down into the snow and disappears.

 

The world is very quiet, and mist surrounds them on all sides.

 

Why can’t he move? It isn’t as though the child is holding him with any force.

 

After a long time, he speaks. “You really aren’t dangerous at all, are you?” his voice is very dry. He places a hand on their shoulder and gently pushes them away.

 

The child looks up at him and smiles.

 

Papyrus’s other hand cracks across their skull and knocks them to the ground, unconscious.

 

* * *

 

The child lay motionless on the other side of the bars, their hands bound behind their back. Their sweater clings to them wetly, and they shiver with cold. Papyrus can tell they’re only pretending to still be unconscious, but he stays uncharacteristically silent.

 

...Sentimentality. That’s all it is. He’d been accused of it endlessly during his early years as a cadet. Since then he’d very carefully built up a reputation as not only one of the strongest, but also one of the cruelest monsters in the Underground. Still, he couldn’t rid himself of the hated trait. That was why he’d taken the child alive. That was why he hadn’t killed Sans many times over for his blatant insubordination. That was why he couldn’t even bring himself to kill the former Captain of the Royal Guard, though if she ever showed her face near civilization he knew he’d have to finish the job.

 

_“They’ll take advantage of you, Papy.”_ She’d always tell him. _“Humans have a way of finding out your every weakness and using them against you. And they’re not the only ones.”_

 

“Boss!” Sans laughs when Papyrus jumps in surprise. There are dark circles under his eye sockets, and his eye is glowing far too dull.

 

“Sans, you look like shit. And you let this human slip right past your sentry station! Lucky for you I was able to catch it before it reached Waterfall. What the hell have you been doing all this time?”

 

“...Skullking.”

 

“If I find out you let this human past you on purpose--”

 

“Relax, boss. I ain’t no traitor, I just like tellin’ dumb jokes through doorways.”

 

“Pathetic.”

 

Sans steps closer to the bars and grins at the human. “So, uh, this is what a human looks like, huh? Great idea, taking it alive. I know Al’s been looking for a live subject.”

 

“...Yes. If we’re going to war with them, we had better find out all we can.” Papyrus admits, grateful Sans offered an excuse before he had to come up with one.

 

“Heh, exactly.” Sans’s shaky hand slides from his pocket and grasps a bar loosely, his magic eye fixed on the human. Papyrus doesn’t like the way he’s smiling at them. “Why don’t I...stay here and watch ‘em while you give the ol’ girl a call?”

 

“Absolutely not.”

 

Sans winces noticeably, “w-why not?”

 

“There’s no way I’m leaving you alone with a human now that I know what you’ve been doing while you’re slacking off! You may call Dr. Alphys, if you wish.”

 

Sans scowls, “but Boss, s-she hates me.”

 

“Hah! Her and every other monster in the Underground!” Papyrus crosses his arms. “Go.”

 

Sans shows no objection other than an insolent stare as he shuffles away.

 

After a moment, the child rolls over to face Papyrus. “I liked your spaghetti,” they mumble.

 

He blinks a couple times, caught off guard. “The human bait? That was poison!”

 

“It still tasted good. And it was nice and fresh.”

 

“You’re a maniac!”

 

The child giggles shyly, and Papyrus can’t help but feel....

 

Something.

 

“Well, clearly I have to up the dosage. How much arsenic does it take to kill a human?”

 

“Um. I don’t know. Um, Papyrus?”

 

“It’s ‘sir’ to you, human.”

 

“...Sir? Is there something weird about your brother?” The child looks away. “He seems...I don’t know. Weird.”

 

“Hah! Everything about him is weird! Where do I start?” He knows he shouldn’t be indulging the human’s curiosities, but he’s taken aback by the child’s sincerity. No one brings up his brother to him unless they’re trying to start a fight, but the child doesn’t seem angry or mocking, just concerned. “He’s completely useless! If it weren’t for me he wouldn’t do a damn thing all day except sit at home and collect socks! Fucking Socks! He’s too weak to fight at all--which wouldn’t be a problem if he would follow orders and take his job seriously!” And now on top of that he may be a human sympathizer. “I wouldn’t hesitate to put him in his place, but--” he stops himself. The child stares up to him curiously. He always tries not to let his weakness for his brother show, lest it be used as leverage against him, but looking at this human--this human who would not fight him, who put their tiny arms around him as though there was nothing to fear--he can’t help but trust them. “But he couldn’t even handle stubbing his toe, he’s so weak. One stray hit, even on accident, and he’d be dead where he stood.”

 

The child’s face goes pale, their eyes wide.

 

“What’s that look for? It was not my intention to frighten you--if it was, you would know.” He gives them his most menacing grin, but the child’s expression doesn’t change. “Are you concerned for him?” The child nods. “Well, don’t be. He knows how to avoid fights relatively well, and of course, he’s got the Great Papyrus to keep him out of trouble.” The child giggles and he snickers with them.

 

They fall into silence.

 

“What will happen to me?” the child asks.

 

A cold tremor crawls down Papyrus’s spine. “You will be taken to the laboratory in Hotland, where the Royal Scientist, Dr. Alphys, will conduct research and experiments on you in order to learn more about your race. What these experiments will entail I don’t know, as it is none of my concern.” He pauses. “It will not be pleasant.”

 

They sniff and stare at his feet.

 

He feels something like a pit in his stomach. None of the monsters who were taken away to Alphys’s lab were ever heard from again. Strange sounds are often heard from within at night. It’s well known that The Face of the Underground, the robot newscaster Mettaton, had been created by her, but it hadn’t occurred to Papyrus until now how that’d happened, or whether he’d been someone before.

 

Mental images eat at his mind, of the child trapped in a dark cell, in chains, drugged into submission, led out only to be prodded at and cut open, and forced to fight, and always, always terrified.

 

And suddenly, out of nowhere, he just can’t do it anymore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> whoo, boy. Papyrus is hard to write for me tbh but I think I'm finally happy enough with this to post it.


	5. Determination

“Alph!”

The scientist nearly jumps out of her skin, spinning around to glare at him with ramen noodles hanging out of her mouth. She’d been watching some stupid human cartoon; on the screen a pink-haired girl human laughs hysterically, covered in blood.

“What do YOU want?” Alphys spits. “You know I don’t have any more!”

Sans doesn’t need reminding. He glances around the room, leans on the table. “So, uh, where’s the robot? Off filming his propaganda or something?”

Her face reddens, and she glares at him in indignation, “j-j-just because he’s not here doesn’t mean you can do whatever you want! I still have your brother on s-speed dial in case you give me trouble!”

“W-well, I s-s-sure hope the s-s-subject of my p-p-pass-times doesn’t c-c-c-come up!” he mock-stutters, grinning at her, “heh, the asshole had one of his spies follow me to the ruins door, and Al, I know you got cameras over there. My bro’ll be wondering why you didn’t sell me out.”

To be completely honest, he’d been wondering too, but the the flood of barely-coherent excuses that Alphys stutters out gives him the impression it would be exhausting to try to figure it out.

“Anyway, that’s not why I’m here,” he interrupts her, picking up one of her dumb toys she insists are for cultural research and turning it over in his hand. “Wanna guess what my brother brought home?”

“A human.” It’s not a question. “Sans, I watched them make their way through Snowdin forest. I watched them fight your brother--if it could be called a fight.” Her glasses gleamed in the light when she looked up at him, making it hard to read her expression. “Are you going to give them to me?”

He shrugs. “Maybe.”

“F-for a price, right?” she scowls, “I d-don’t see why I should bother, P-Papyrus will bring them to me one way or another. Th-the king’s orders were very clear!”

“Yeah. Any human captured alive is to be brought to you for testing. But y’know, uh, accidents do happen.” He drops the figure, using blue magic to accelerate its descent. Its head snaps off and rolls under the desk when it hits the floor. He’d hoped for something more dramatic.

Alphys doesn’t answer.

“I don’t actually think the old man was expecting anyone to spare a human’s life, anyway,” Sans continues, “b’sides, even if I got caught, guess who’s in charge of punishing things like that?”

“Y-you think Papyrus won’t punish you?” she glares at him. “Just because he’s s-squeamish about hurting you physically? You think he’ll choose you over his position as Captain?” She stands up to her full height, about eye-level to him. “H-how dare you threaten me?”

He feels his hands shaking and curses himself.

“Get. Out. Of. My. Lab.”

His hand moves on its own, as if to strike her. He stops himself when she flinches back from him, and grabs her collar instead. “You’re going to share with me, Al,” he hisses. “Whether you get the soul from a living human or a corpse is up to you.”

Her moment of bravery is over. She whimpers softly and pulls away from him. He lets her.

“I don’t n-need another corpse,” she shrinks into herself and gazes at him with desperate eyes. “...j-just please, d-don’t take too much this time?”

“I’ll take what I damn please.” Sans shortcuts to the entrance to Waterfall before she can answer, then has to choke back a cry of pain. He can’t manage to go any further. He’d already spent so much energy getting to the lab from his house. His soul beats with a low, dull ache. Sans curses and leans against the cave wall to catch his breath. He can’t let anyone see him like this, but it hurts to breath, and the cave seems empty enough at the moment. He lets himself collapse to the ground.

He falls asleep wondering whether he would have been able to kick this by now if time were moving normally.

He doesn’t know how long he slept, but She is waiting for him when he wakes, reclining against the cave wall. She peels a crabapple with a long claw, her one yellow eye boring into him. He scrambles backwards.

“U-U-Undyne!” Shit, he sounds just like Alphys. “Is-is this where you’ve been hiding? Heh, I d-didn’t mean to intrude.”

She sniffs dismissively and pops the crabapple into her mouth, whole. The juice runs down her chin, but she doesn’t seem to mind.

A nervous giggle escapes him. “I-I was just, uh, resting my magic for a bit, I-I’ll be outta your hair in just--”

“Your brother owes me an eye.”

“Uh...”

“But, y’know,” she gestures vaguely to him, “skeletons. No eyes.”

“Y-yeah.”

“So I gotta think of something else, I guess.” She starts peeling another crabapple.

“Don’t kill me,” he pleads softly, realizing the irony as he says it. Just a day ago he would have been singing a different tune.

Her lips pull back into a toothy smile. “Why not?”

“L-look at me, the EXP you ‘d get wouldn’t even be worth the effort you’d spend.” He’s just gotta keep her talking until his magic replenishes enough to teleport. She used to be such a talker. “And...you wouldn’t actually be hurting my brother all that much. He doesn’t give a shit about me, he’d be glad to have me gone.”

She laughs, spewing crabapple juice everywhere. “That punk may have the rest of the underground believing that, but he can’t fool me. He would have killed you himself if that were true.”

“Well, w-what about you? why didn’t you kill me while I was sleeping?”

“Wanted to see if you were the same trashbag I remember. You’re even more pathetic now.” She cracks her neck, pulls herself into a standing position. “Don’t know what I was was expecting. Were you up at the lab?”

“What?”

She crosses her arms. “You heard me.”

“Wh-why would you still care about that?”

She crosses the distance between them in three long strides and picks him up by the collar. “You stay away from that place, understand?”

He nods desperately, and she sets him down unharmed. He stares up at her in disbelief. There’s something odd about the way she’s looking at him, a certain dullness in her eye that’s all too familiar.

...oh.

“Alphys was...giving you something to help you fight, wasn’t she? The last time I saw you. Papyrus thought he wasn’t strong enough to kill you, but you were...you just refused to die.”

It’s clear he caught her off guard. Her eye widens, and her cheeks turn an odd shade of purple.

“And she hasn’t given you any more since.”

She scowls and turns her back on him. “Get the fuck out of here, Sans.”

He doesn’t have enough magic to shortcut all the way home, but he could at least get far away from her, and walk the rest of the way.

He has a fresh human waiting for him.

 

* * *

 

_Entry 03_

_I’ve done it. Using the blueprints, I’ve extracted it from the human SOULs. This is what gives human SOULs the strength to persist after death. The will to keep living…The resolve to change fate._

_Let’s call this power…”Determination.”_

_I’ve asked the king to send me the prisoners rotting in cells under the castle. They’ll be far more useful up here. Of course, Monsters aren’t strong enough to cross the barrier unless they’re fused with a human SOUL. But what happens if I inject Determination into them? Will it be enough to fool the magic running the barrier?_

_Perhaps. If not, it may at least allow their SOULs to persist after death. The king has already briefed me on how powerful humans really are, and Sans has only confirmed this._

_Their SOULs don’t die, he said. I told him I already knew. “But I mean, really, they don’t. I’ve studied them. Unless they actually want to die, they just...just...” he trailed off. When I prompted him he said he didn’t remember what he was talking about. I asked him patiently about the humans he’d studied, and he just gave me this blank look like I was talking nonsense._

_This loser isn’t turning out to be as useful as I’d hoped. Still, it’s clear normal monsters don’t really stand a chance against humans without years of intense training, and even then..._

_I’ll have to be very careful, of course. If I make the prisoners too strong I’ll only be putting myself in danger. I’ll have to keep Mettaton by my side at all times, for protection--his “dreams” will have to wait. If it works, I’ll give him some to even the odds._

_Of course, to find out if it really makes them strong enough to stand a chance against a human, I’ll have to get my hands on a live one. There’s no telling when I’ll be able to do that, and it will be very dangerous. But that’s a problem for another day._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for your kudos and super nice comments! I had a lot of fun with this one.


	6. Brother

The cell is empty. The ropes used to bind the human lay slack on the ground. The cell door hangs ajar, the concrete floor littered with scattered straw. The whips and flails hang motionless on the walls, unused, though that doesn’t really mean anything. Papyrus just keeps them on the wall for dramatic effect, preferring to interrogate criminals and rebels using only own magic or even his bare hands. A thin layer of dust coats the floor and walls. 

The cell is empty.

Okay. No problem. Papyrus probably got bored of waiting for him and started taking the human to the lab. He wouldn’t have just let the thing escape. He’ll just call him.

Yeah. No need to panic. He’ll call him.

He steps out of the garage for better reception and shakily selects his brother’s number. After a moment he hears a generic ring from inside the house.

His legs are stone. It rings once more, then stops. Ignored.

The fool didn’t even have the foresight to let it ring out.

He pushes the door open; nearly tearing it from its hinges. Papyrus sits at the foot of the stairs, hunched over, eyes fixed ahead. He doesn’t even look up.

Sans strides across the room and places himself directly in front of him. His brother won’t meet his eyes. He forces a smile. “Where’s the human, boss?”

He doesn’t answer. Sans’s eye twitches. “Boss.”

“I did the right thing, Sans.”

The room is dark. Cold air seeps in through the open door. Sans takes a breath. “What did you say?”

Papyrus lifts his head to meet his eyes, a silent challenge. “I simply will not be responsible for anything horrible happening to that child. I spoke to them, they are harmless. Not at all like what we were taught a human would be. I cannot justify judging them for the crimes of their species as a whole. I have always prided myself on being a Captain with standards. Harsh, yes, even cruel, but never unjust.” He stands. “As my brother, I expect you will stand by me in this decision.”

Sans takes a step forward, letting magic stream into his left eye. “You--you’re tellin’ me you let ‘em go?”

Papyrus gazes down at him wordlessly.

Sans erupts in a fit of laughter. “You--the Great Papyrus--let a fucking human go? Out of sympathy? You piece of shit, Papyrus. You literal piece of goddamn garbage. You’re supposed to be the dependable one.”

It’s the second time he’s been picked up by the collar that day, but he’s not afraid. Papyrus has never hurt him, no matter how many threats he makes.

“I will not be insulted under my own roof, you waste of space.”

Sans kicks his legs uselessly, more to annoy his brother than anything else. “Get them back before I turn you in, traitor!”

Papyrus’s face softens in surprise. “I see I was wrong about you after all.”

“I fuckin’ told you!”

“No matter. You don’t have to be a human sympathiser, but you do have to trust my decision. You won’t be turning me in, and you won’t be harming a hair on that human’s head.”

“Why the fuck wouldn’t I?” Sans kicks harder, and Papyrus has to grab a hold of his neck with his other hand just to keep a hold on him.

“You’re my brother, Sans! After all I’ve done for you, you won’t just trust me? Do you know what will happen to me if you turn me in?”

“I don’t care!” Sans’s voice cracks every time he shouts, which is why he doesn’t do it often. Magic rushes to his cheekbones in a mockery of a blush, and he tries to bite back his shame. He starts kicking even more violently, his boots colliding harmlessly against his brother’s armor. “I want that human, Papyrus! I want it! You had no right! It’s mine! I need it! I--”

“What the hell are you talking about?!” Papyrus yells over him. But his face doesn’t look angry like Sans was expecting, only worried. “Sans, what’s wrong with you? Why are you so upset?”

He could have handled it if he was angry. He has to leave, before the tears start. He can’t shortcut while Papyrus is holding on to him. He’s already used so much more magic than he’s used to.

He can’t stop it. Tears trickle from his eye sockets and down his cheekbones. He clenches his eyes shut to stop it, but Papyrus has already seen.

“Sans...?” He sets him down and withdraws his hand uncomfortably.

Sans disappears.

 

* * *

 

_ Entry 4 _

_ My hypothesis needs some work. The monster SOULs don’t live on after death, no matter how much DETERMINATION I inject. Instead, it affects their physical forms in horrendous ways. Many of my subjects have literally melted together. They can still fight, in some fashion, but their minds are scattered. I called in Captain Undyne to train them to fight properly, but she grew impatient with their madness and distracted double-speak. Time will tell if they still stand a chance against a human. _

_ Sans spends a lot of time with them, when they’re not being tested. I don’t know why I find that so irritating. He says giving someone DETERMINATION without a purpose is like turning on a car with no wheels, burning gas without going anywhere; you’re just sort of sitting there, running. Existing. _

_ Several vials of DT have gone missing. _

_ It isn’t hard to guess where they’ve gone. _

 

* * *

 

“I told you, he just let me go.”

It’s the third time Flowey has asked. He still can’t believe it.

He’s beginning to think his friend is insane. He could have believed that they escaped, or even that they’d overpowered the skeleton, but the Great Papyrus simply did not let prisoners go.

“Why? Because you hugged him?”

“I don’t know.”

As if that isn’t infuriating enough, after their escape the kid had just backtracked through the town and forest looking for him instead of moving on. If he hadn’t found them first, who knows how far they would have gone. They’d wasted hours looking for him, even asked the locals if they’d seen him. Then when they’d found him, they’d gone around and assured everyone that he was safe, and told them not to worry.. The monsters’ rude remarks and even outright violence hadn’t seemed to phase them. They’re getting way too comfortable here.  At least waterfall is sparsely populated, he thinks. With any luck they’ll make it through with minimal resets. He just has to keep them motivated. Keep them determined.

Luckily, that doesn’t seem to be hard.

“I think on the inside he’s really nice,” they’re saying. “Probably just a big kid, y’know? He never really wanted to hurt me.”

“He did hurt you, Chara. He killed you. Multiple times.”

“He never really wanted to hurt anyone, I don’t think.” they continue, as if they didn’t even hear him. “He just had to be reminded of that.” They pause in front of an empty sentry station and cock their head to the side.

“What?”

The walk over and peer over the desk, standing on tiptoes and leaning over the side to get a better view.

“It’s empty, count yourself lucky.”

"Is it Sans’s?”

Flowey sighs in exasperation. “Sans’s sentry station is in Snowdin Forest,” he says.

“Yes, but--” They pause, a look of concentration on their face. “Didn’t Papyrus say he would be transferred to Waterfall?”

Flowey rolls his eyes. “Well, look who’s been paying attention. You’re right, we need to keep an eye out for that smiley trashbag while we’re in the area, but he’s not here right now so we should really just move on.”

They nod and step away from the station, staring at it with a puzzled expression for a moment longer before moving forward.

Before them, a wall of reeds stands twice as tall as Chara. They push through them without hesitation, and keep pushing through, seemingly unafraid of whatever monsters might be hiding within. The reeds surround them on all sides, with no end in sight, and Flowey wonders how large this patch really is. He’d never had to go straight through on foot before.

The kid stops, suddenly. Simultaneously, the sound of metal against metal echoes through the cavern. The sound of someone moving in armor. Chara pulls apart some reeds to make a gap just big enough to see through. Flowey slithers up their shoulder to get a better look, ready to yell at them to run if they don’t have the sense.

Up on the ledge, Sans stands at the edge of the shadows, lighting a cigar with a shaky hand. Its orange light glints off the silver armor of the other monster.

“Thanks for coming,” Sans is saying. “Uh, yeah. I’m not Alphys. Sorry I took her phone to message you. I’ll give it back, promise.”

The armored monster says nothing.

“Look, I don’t see any reason we can’t be friends,” he says. “You and me, we’re in the same boat. I know what you need. And I know how to get it. I wanna help you, Undyne.”

Silence. Chara bites their lip.

“I got some choice information for you, Undies,” Sans grins, smoke rising from his eyes and mouth and ribs, “all you gotta do is promise not to hurt my bro too bad. I mean, sure, you’ll hurt him emotionally when you take your job back from him, but--”

The armored monster steps forward.

“Heh, I got your attention, huh? Promise me.”

A nod.

“Cool. Gotta say, you really got that whole ‘strong silent type’ thing nailed. And that armor,” he coughs, a deep hacking cough. “Very nice. You polish it recently? Very shiny, ten outta ten.”

Another step forward. Sans steps back. His whole body’s shaking, now.

“Y-yeah. Straight to business. Word on the street, there’s a human in town, headed straight for waterfall. Heh, exciting, isn’t it? You gotta take the human alive. Al wants ‘em that way. If you do, the king will be so impressed with you that he’ll be sure to give you your job back, especially after my brother’s massive failure.”

Undyne's shoulders move up and down in silent laughter.

Sans laughs nervously, “Y-yeah, heh, I’m pretty disappointed in him too. Don’t wanna be doin’ this to him, but, y’know, civic duty and all that.” he takes a step back and his legs give out from under him suddenly, nearly sending him falling off the ledge. Chara’s gasp is nearly inaudible--still, the armored monster springs forward, shoving a hand in front of sans to steady him while her other hand summons a magic spear. She stands poised for action, staring into the reeds, waiting for any sign of life. Chara holds their breath. A moment passes, then another.

“Heh, kinda jumpy, are we?” sans chuckles. “good, I like that in a hit man. Welp, I’ll leave you to it. I’m going to Grillby’s.”

He heads back towards town with an over-casual saunter. After another moment, Undyne heads the opposite direction.

Chara releases their breath in a soft whisper, “is he okay?”

“What? you’re worried about him? Did you not see what i just saw?”

“I’m worried about all of them.” they don’t elaborate, and Flowey doesn’t ask any follow-up questions. This kid is crazy.

He tells himself he really shouldn’t be surprised at how different Chara’s been acting. He felt different, too, when he came back to life.

Still...

They continue to push past the reeds until they open up into a clearing, and smile when they see a glittering SAVE point up ahead.

Flowey nearly screams when something bursts out of the reeds behind them. They spin around just as the armless monster child falls flat on their face. Chara immediately moves to help them.

“Get offa me!” the monster child shouts, pushing themselves up. “Just my luck someone else heard that. Well, it doesn’t matter. I’m gonna find the human first, and take their soul before anyone else can!” They stick their tongue out at Chara, then turn and run off ahead. “Just try and stop me, scrub!”

Chara’s still smiling as they reach out to touch the SAVE point.


	7. Extractor

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> well here it is, I know it's been a while. Note the change in tags. 
> 
> This story's going some weird and unexpected directions.

The human slips on the slick surface of the boardwalk and nearly falls face-first into the water when a bright red spear pierces their shoulder. A sharp intake of breath is the only sound they make, too shocked to scream as the spear begins to pull them backward, drawn by a magical chain. Flowey wraps his vines around the chain and squeezes, sliding off the child’s arm to tangle his roots between the boards underneath. The spear and chain dissipate into formless energy, leaving a bloody, oozing hole in the child’s sweater.

The next spear is directed at Flowey.

He twists and swerves to avoid it, screaming at the human to run. He blocks the next spear aimed at them, losing a good chunk of his HP, but it’s worth it when the kid pushes into another patch of reeds, safe and hidden for the moment. He trails along the boardwalk in the other direction, drawing fire and attention away from the human. He weaves his roots between the boards as he dances and twists to avoid the blows--one more will kill him, he’s almost sure of it. He just has to make it back to soft ground, where he can burrow into the mud and escape.

Alone in the reeds, Frisk struggles to keep their breath even as they bite into the cinnamon bunny, forcing it down through the screaming pain. Their shoulder begins to knit itself together, still throbbing with searing, hot sensation. They reach into their pack for one more item, and choke back a sob when they see what’s left.

Just a cinnamon-butterscotch pie, laced, they knew, with enough sedatives to kill them.

For a brief moment they consider resetting back to their save point, but this was the first time they’d gotten past that boardwalk--they’d lost track of how many times they’d tried. They don’t really feel like trying again. Flowey could heal them, would heal them when he--if he made it.

No. They’re not going to let him die.

He would find them again. If he didn’t, they would just Go Back and find him again. They just need to stay determined.

 

 

* * *

 

“Sans?”

He opens his eyes and immediately throws his arm in front of his face to block the light from the gleaming crystals far above him.

He lets out an exhausted groan and looks around for the source of the sound. The human stands a few feet away, wearing a concerned expression, their right shoulder coated in dried blood. The flower is nowhere in sight.

Sans smiles.

“Well hey, kid. How’s you likin’ your stay in the underground?”

The kid looks like they’re about to say something, then they close their mouth and hold something out to him. He stares at it for a few seconds before taking it. He can feel something cold inside the small plastic wrapper. On it, a handwritten message: ‘No one will ever love you for you.’

“What the hell?”

The kid jumps a little, “Th-there was a vendor in that cave over there, and--and you looked really messed up, and I thought some food might help, and I ate everything I had already because I was hurt and--and Flowey should have found me by now but I don’t want to--”

“Shut up.” God, his head hurts.

The kid flinches.

Sans sighs and rubs his head. “I mean, thanks, kid. You, uh, really didn’t have to do that.” He unwraps the package and bites into the ice cream treat. It’s not what he really needs, and it’s sickeningly sweet, but it should at least give him some energy.

Slowly, hesitantly, the kid sits down next to him. They don’t say anything. Sans feels a knot of tension squirm inside his ribcage.

“So what’s this about?” he asks after a heavy silence. “Tryin’ to butter me up for a reason?”

The kid sniffs and swallows hard. They look like they’re about to cry. Still, they say nothing.

“Uh...” Sans squirms and inches away from them. “Seriously, you’re freakin’ me out.”

“Are you okay?” they turn to him, eyes shiny with tears. “Are you sick? Why do you always look like you’re about to fall over?”

Sans shoots them a sharp look. “None of your business.”

“I don’t know why any of this is happening.” The kid drops their head into their hands. “Everybody’s trying so hard to kill me or worse and I--I’m out of food and money and I don’t know what to do.”

“You’re out of money?”

No response. Sans stares at the frozen treat in his hands. “And you’re giving food away? What the hell is wrong with you?”

They just shake their head without looking up.

“...huh.” Jesus, Papyrus was right. This kid isn’t a threat. Maybe he wouldn’t need Undyne’s help after all. He stands up. “C’mon, let’s get you a grillburger. My treat.” He holds out a hand.

The kid scrutinizes his hand suspiciously, then pushes up his sleeve and stares at his wrist.

“What are you doing?”

The kid smiles at him and takes his hand.

He takes a breath. One more shortcut. He can do this.

The machine takes up nearly two thirds of the room, its gaping eye sockets sightlessly fixed on the both of them. The smell of batteries permeates the room. The child cringes at the sudden brightness of the florescent lights overhead, pulling away from him. “wh...this isn’t--!”

The look of betrayal on their face when their SOUL turns blue isn’t as funny as it should be. The machine is built for a disembodied SOUL, shoving an entire body inside proves rather difficult. His soul aches as he strains his magic trying to drag the screaming kid into the small opening in the machine as the it warms up, its gaping eye sockets beginning to glow faintly and a low hum resonating from within. The kid keeps trying to make a mad dash for the door before sans drags them back into position. His magic is slipping. He feels the hollowness inside his rib cage like something tangible, dark and heavy. This won’t work.

Keeping his attention on the kid, he digs through the drawers on the sides of the room. At last he finds what he’s looking for, and, cold sweat dripping from his skull, turns back to the kid, a syringe of sedatives in hand.

The kid’s eyes go wide with fear--and something else. They choke back a sob. And the world stops.

 

* * *

 

“S-Sans?”

He opens his eyes and immediately throws his arm in front of his face to block the light from the gleaming crystals far above him.

He lets out an exhausted groan and looks around for the source of the sound. The human stands a few feet away, their eyes red and puffy from crying, the left leg of their jeans coated in dried blood. The flower is nowhere in sight.

The kid tosses something into his lap and sprints away. He can feel something cold inside the small plastic wrapper. On it, a handwritten message: ‘No one will ever love you for you.’

A cold shiver crawls down his back. Sans suddenly feels very dirty, and he doesn’t know why.

**Author's Note:**

> Underfell is just such an intriguing universe, i wanted to put my own spin on it a little. I'ts gonna be a wild ride.


End file.
